22For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.H3427H7969H8141H4421H758H34782Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.H7992H8141H3092H4428H3063H3381H4428H34783During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, "Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we've done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!"H4428H3478H559H5650H3045H7433H1568H2814H3947H3027H4428H7584Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses."H559H3092H3212H4421H7433H1568H3092H559H4428H3478H3644H5971H5971H5483H54835Then Jehoshaphat added, "But first let's find out what the LORD says."H3092H559H4428H3478H1875H1697H3068H31176So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" They all replied, "Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory."H4428H3478H6908H5030H6908H702H3967H376H559H3212H7433H1568H4421H2308H559H5927H136H5414H3027H44287But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question."H3092H559H5030H3068H5750H18758The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, "There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat replied, "That's not the way a king should talk! Let's hear what he has to say."H4428H3478H559H3092H259H376H4321H1121H3229H1875H3068H8130H5012H2896H7451H3092H559H4428H5599So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah."H4428H3478H7121H259H5631H559H4116H4321H1121H322910King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab's prophets were prophesying there in front of them.H4428H3478H3092H4428H3063H3427H376H3678H3847H899H1637H6607H8179H8111H5030H5012H644011One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, "This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!"H6667H1121H3668H6213H7161H1270H559H559H3068H5055H758H361512All the other prophets agreed. "Yes," they said, "go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!"H5030H5012H559H5927H7433H1568H6743H3068H5414H4428H302713Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, "Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success."H4397H1980H7121H4321H1696H559H1697H5030H2896H4428H259H6310H1697H1697H259H1696H289614But Micaiah replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me to say."H4321H559H3068H2416H3068H559H169615When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?" Micaiah replied sarcastically, "Yes, go up and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!"H935H4428H4428H559H4321H3212H7433H1568H4421H2308H559H5927H6743H3068H5414H3027H442816But the king replied sharply, "How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the LORD?"H4428H559H6471H7650H1696H571H8034H306817Then Micaiah told him, "In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.'"H559H7200H3478H6327H2022H6629H7462H3068H559H113H7725H376H1004H796518"Didn't I tell you?" the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. "He never prophesies anything but trouble for me."H4428H3478H559H3092H559H5012H2896H745119Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.H559H8085H1697H3068H7200H3068H3427H3678H6635H8064H5975H3225H804020And the LORD said, 'Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?' "There were many suggestions,H3068H559H6601H256H5927H5307H7433H1568H559H3541H559H354121and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, 'I can do it!'H3318H7307H5975H6440H3068H559H660122"'How will you do this?' the LORD asked. "And the spirit replied, 'I will go out and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to speak lies.' "'You will succeed,' said the LORD. 'Go ahead and do it.'H3068H559H559H3318H8267H7307H6310H5030H559H6601H3201H3318H621323"So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom."H3068H5414H8267H7307H6310H5030H3068H1696H745124Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. "Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" he demanded.H6667H1121H3668H5066H5221H4321H3895H559H335H5674H7307H3068H169625And Micaiah replied, "You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!"H4321H559H7200H3117H935H2315H2315H224726"Arrest him!" the king of Israel ordered. "Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash.H4428H3478H559H3947H4321H7725H526H8269H5892H3101H4428H112127Give them this order from the king: 'Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!'"H559H559H4428H7760H1004H3608H398H3899H3906H4325H3906H935H796528But Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, it will mean that the LORD has not spoken through me!" Then he added to those standing around, "Everyone mark my words!"H4321H559H7725H7725H7965H3068H1696H559H8085H597129So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.H4428H3478H3092H4428H3063H5927H7433H156830The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.H4428H3478H559H3092H2664H935H4421H3847H899H4428H3478H2664H935H442131Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two chariot commanders: "Attack only the king of Israel. Don't bother with anyone else!"H4428H758H6680H7970H8147H8269H7393H559H3898H6996H1419H4428H347832So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat called out,H8269H7393H7200H3092H559H4428H3478H5493H3898H3092H219933the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him.H8269H7393H7200H4428H3478H7725H31034An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. "Turn the horses and get me out of here!" Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. "I'm badly wounded!"H376H4900H7198H8537H5221H4428H3478H1694H8302H559H7395H2015H3027H3318H4264H247035The battle raged all that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died.H4421H5927H3117H4428H5975H4818H5227H758H4191H6153H1818H3332H4347H2436H739336Just as the sun was setting, the cry ran through his troops: "We're done for! Run for your lives!"H5674H7440H4264H935H8121H559H376H5892H376H77637So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there.H4428H4191H935H8111H6912H4428H811138Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the LORD had promised.H7857H7393H1295H8111H3611H3952H1818H7364H2185H1697H3068H169639The rest of the events in Ahab's reign and everything he did, including the story of the ivory palace and the towns he built, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H256H6213H8127H1004H1129H5892H1129H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H347840So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became the next king.H256H7901H1H274H1121H442741Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab's reign in Israel.H3092H1121H609H4427H3063H702H8141H256H4428H347842Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.H3092H7970H2568H8141H1121H4427H4427H6242H2568H8141H3389H517H8034H5806H1323H797743Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the example of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.H3212H1870H609H1H5493H6213H3477H5869H3068H1116H5493H5971H2076H6999H111644Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.H3092H7999H4428H347845The rest of the events in Jehoshaphat's reign, the extent of his power, and the wars he waged are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H3092H1369H6213H3898H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306346He banished from the land the rest of the male and female shrine prostitutes, who still continued their practices from the days of his father, Asa.H3499H6945H7604H3117H1H609H1197H77647(There was no king in Edom at that time, only a deputy.)H4428H123H5324H442848Jehoshaphat also built a fleet of trading ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But the ships never set sail, for they met with disaster in their home port of Ezion-geber.H3092H6213H6240H591H8659H3212H211H2091H1980H591H7665H610049At one time Ahaziah son of Ahab had proposed to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with your men in the ships." But Jehoshaphat refused the request.H559H274H1121H256H3092H5650H3212H5650H591H3092H1450When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.H3092H7901H1H6912H1H5892H1732H1H3088H1121H442751Ahaziah son of Ahab began to rule over Israel in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria two years.H274H1121H256H4427H3478H8111H7651H6240H8141H3092H4428H3063H4427H8141H347852But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight, following the example of his father and mother and the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to sin.H6213H7451H5869H3068H3212H1870H1H1870H517H1870H3379H1121H5028H3478H239853He served Baal and worshiped him, provoking the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.H5647H1168H7812H3707H3068H430H3478H1H6213
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. Send them home in peace.'"H559
